According to the latest figures from SANParks, 405 rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year alone, a scary 22 percent increase from last year- please continue to support rhino conservation efforts to stop this madness.

We live high-pressured crazy lives, often having to negotiate between hundreds of other people trying to do the same thing.

It’s the same in cities all over the world, but this timelapse of traffic in Ho Chi Mihn City in Vietnam gives a birds eye view on congestion craziness- a huge concern in a time where it is becoming imperative to switch to low-carbon forms of transport.

Today is the last day of COP17, and after two weeks of talks the world is eagerly awaiting the outcome of this event.

In the Cape Times today, Kumi Naidoo and Jay Naidoo’s open letter to world leaders has been published, which highlights the moral imperative for them to take responsibility for the potentially disastrous effects of climate change, and act with urgency.

This particular article is not available online at the moment, but in the meantime, this talk summarizes Naidoo’s urgent call for change, as director of Greenpeace Africa.

The veterinarians who looked after Tanner 2 did all they could to treat and stabilise his condition, but the decision was made to end his suffering- a fate we hope will not affect any more of our rhinos.

In an effort to curb poaching, officials at the Kruger National Park have decided that they will no longer share information about rhino sightings.

As much as they have wanted to share this information in the past, so that visitors can appreciate these animals, the poaching situation has reached the point where it makes sense to do all they can to protect the species.

Keeping up with the daily COP17 updates can be overwhelming, especially since media outlets all over the world are adding their perspective to the process on a regular basis.

However, one broadcast that has made it easy for us to get a ground level experience of the conference is the Cambridge University and Nedbank Youtube collaboration called the Daily COPpuccino.

Although the short clips obviously don’t cover the entire conference in detail, they do provide a broad and more personal perspective- something that seems necessary considering the amount of competing coverage.

Woolworths is constantly trying to be more sustainable by cutting down on electricity and fossil fuel consumption in their stores and supply chain- all visible in the store’s implementation strategies to save energy, conserve water and manage waste better.

All these considerations form part of Woolworths’ Good Business Journey, which plans to make a difference in four key areas: transformation, social development, the environment and climate change.

The Save Mapungubwe NGO Coalition announced last week on their website that it would be entering into negotiations with Limpopo Coal, after a protracted legal battle against the construction of the Vele colliery near the Mapungubwe National Park.

Green Renaissance strongly disagrees with this decision, as any kind of mining, even when regulated, will still have a potentially adverse affect on the area.

We assure you that we will do all we can to showcase how the area is affected, and hope that this decision does not set a precedent for other mining companies wanting to do the same in other culturally and environmentally significant areas.

It’s an incredible experience to be close to nature, and wildlife, given the often urban-dominated lives that we live.

The everyday activities of animals are special enough to see, but every so often something humorous also happens that reminds us that in all walks of life, we don’t always need to take ourselves so seriously.

While negotiations take place behind closed doors at COP17, civil society organisations will be taking to the streets of Durban tomorrow to emphasize the need for renewable energy, and a clear strategy for addressing climate change.

Organised by the C17 civil society committee, the Global Day of Action march will begin in Botha’s Garden/King Dinuzulu Garden at 8.30, and end at the Old Pavilion site at 2pm.